Desert Adventures in Saudi Arabia and Jordan

Arrive in Riyadh, original homeland of the ruling Al Saud family and now the nation’s capital city. Saudi Arabia is a vast desert kingdom, rich in both history and oil fields, with a mystique that spans from Bedouins to billionaires. Built on a centrally located desert plateau, Riyadh is the country’s financial hub with a surprisingly lively nightlife and makes the perfect jumping off point for your journey into antiquity.

Explore the National Museum, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that tells the complete story of Arabian history. View Masmak Fortress, in Riyadh’s Old Quarter, before strolling through Dirah Souk, a market renowned for colorful textiles, from silk to luxurious pashminas. After lunch, visit UNESCO-listed Diriyah, the original home of the royal family. Walk the old town to admire its palace, houses and marketplace. Tonight, at a welcome dinner, hear from a local expert from the antiquities or creative sectors about recent changes in Saudi society.

Fly into the Arabian Desert to AlUla and settle into your hotel. Located in a spectacular valley, with date palm groves that line the banks of a wadi (dry riverbed) and red sandstone cliffs rising on either side, AlUla was once a trading hub on the historic Incense Route. Today it welcomes a growing number of visitors to its starkly beautiful desert landscape.

Explore Hegra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that features a towering carved façade revealing its Nabatean connection to Petra in Jordan. Also discover the Nabatean Well, Qasr Al Bint, Diwan Tomb and Al Farid Palace. After lunch, view the architecture of AlUla’s Old Town and wander among its cafés and shops. Continue to the Oasis Trail, strolling under towering date palms. Later, view iconic Elephant Rock, shaped by erosion to resemble a massive pachyderm.

Journey overland to Jabal Ikmah, situated in a stunning desert canyon. This “open-air library” has an impressive collection of inscriptions carved into its stone cliffsides, most dating to the first millennium BC. Continue to nearby Dadan, once the capital of the ancient kingdom of the Lihyanite and Dadanite civilizations, to learn about the treasures uncovered from ongoing archaeological excavations. Stop for photos at Maraya, a dazzling concert hall that is the world’s largest mirrored building. End your day taking in panoramic views of AlUla at Harratt View Point, sipping a refreshing drink of juice, coffee or tea.

Fly to Amman and continue to Petra and settle into your hotel. After an afternoon free, gather tonight for dinner.

Explore Petra — described by UNESCO as “one of the most precious cultural properties of man’s cultural heritage.” Major sites include the Treasury (familiar to viewers of the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade), the Temple of the Winged Lions and the Palace Tomb. Once a rich merchant city and a stop for the camel caravans bringing spices, silk and slaves from Arabia to the Mediterranean, Petra was lost for 1,000 years, emerging from antiquity in 1812, when it was re-discovered by the Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt.

This morning, choose from one of these Design Your Day activities:

• Enjoy a Turkish Bath at the hotel, beginning with a soft steam and continuing with a scrub, savoring this relaxing ritual.
• Visit Little Petra, a smaller version of the archaeological site, and then begin your two-mile hike to the Monastery, a Nabatean-era rock-cut temple, with stunning views.
• Explore Shobek, a castle dating back to the time of the Crusaders.
  

Each option includes lunch. Afterward, return to your hotel with the remainder of your day free.

Travel to Amman, stopping en route to visit Mount Nebo, where the Bible says Moses glimpsed the Promised Land and spent his final days. Also explore the city of Madaba, often called the “City of Mosaics” for its spectacular Byzantine and Umayyad mosaics. See the famous sixth-century map of Jerusalem and the Holy Land; comprised of two million pieces of colored stone. Gather tonight for a farewell dinner.

Explore the “White City” of Amman today, including its Citadel and Roman Theater. Amman has served as both the modern and ancient capital of Jordan and is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Enjoy a special chef-led culinary experience at a local restaurant before an afternoon free to relax or explore on your own.

After breakfast, take your private transfer to the airport to board your departing flight.